6 Comments

  1. It’s definitely possible. Often there are regional hit songs that travel from Senegal, Cote d’Ivoire, or Guinea to Ghana, Sierra Leone, or Liberia, regardless of language or other barriers. People sing and dance to the songs w/out knowing the meaning, and sometimes creating their own meanings and understanding for certain popular songs. Then again some of the artists sing/rap in multiple languages… from English to French to Wolof to Malinke…

    But for groups like Darra J and PBS, it’s extra special, I guess, late/90s Wolof rap breaking regeonal. I heard Daddy Saj’s “Corruption” was a regeonal hit as well, getting played in Liberia, Ghana, and Cote d’Ivoire.

  2. Hey, thanks for sharing Georgie’s dance moves with others! You can’t help but smile.

    I’m not sure about the song. I know that it’s not in Liberian English, so I always just thought they were singing in a tribal language (Bassa, perhaps?).

    Or, it could be from Senegal or something. Akon is #1 in Liberia, so that would make sense too. But, now you have me curious, so I will have to ask the kids about the song when I get back to Liberia.

  3. Dave Quam just sent me a version of a song with this melody from Suriname, so nowww it’s getting really interesting. Oh and by the way, the version I have (and heard played at Senegalese parties) is Zamouna by Didier Awadi.

  4. The song is Zongeliwa originally recorded by Golden Sounds from Cameroon in 1986. The original video is on youtube. It was a big hit throughout West/Central Africa, my vinyl version of the album was printed in Colombia… The band was the launching point for Anne Azoure a talented makossa singer.

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